Thursday, May 22, 2014

Second Horizon is the latest Christian Alternative Rock album released by American Christian Rock band, Fight The Fade. This album was released on May 20, 2014 and released under the label, Fight The Fade Music.

Fight The Fade (stylized as FTF)
Is an American rock band from
Tulsa, Oklahoma, formed in 2009. The band's lineup consists of singer
Zene Smith; guitarists Tyler Simpson and Bryan Conway; and bassist
Trevor Taylor. They are known for their rock music which incorporates
other sounds such as alternative rock, hard rock, Respectively, Jason
McPhail was the band’s original lead vocalist, and was replaced by Smith in 2011.

To date, Fight The Fade has released one studio album: What We Know
(2012), and a self-titled EP (2009). Fight The Fade released a studio
single on September 13, 2011 entitled "House Of Cards" which featured
first time studio performances from Zene Smith and newly added rhythm
guitarist Bryan Conway. The band is well known for their energetic live
shows.

After playing numerous shows in their hometown, the
quintet set out on self-booked tours in 2010 while still remaining
independent in 2013. Fight The Fade's commitment to the road has allowed
them to tour the country and back, sharing the stage with some of the
biggest names in music, Switchfoot, Thousand Foot Krutch, Underoath,
Skillet, Disciple, Fireflight, The Letter Black, Love & Death (Ft.
Brian "Head" Welch of Korn), As I lay Dying, Red, and Newsboys to name a
few.

May of 2012 brought the new era of Fight The Fade with
"What We Know" the debut EP of the newly featured lineup. The EP
featured hit singles "House Of Cards" & "Tomorrow" of which gained
regional and national success. The record also saw release of a music
video for the title track, along with 2 official lyric videos.

In February 2014 they announced “Second Horizon” the full length follow
up to “What We Know.” Along with the announcement released the title
track and later released “Rise” as the second single from the new
record. Second Horizon is set to be released May 20th 2014.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Running to Follow is the latest Christian Worship album released by American Christian union of Fellowship churches, Fellowship Creative. This album was released on May 13, 2014 and released under the label, Fellowship Creative Music.

Fellowship Creative is a movement of artists emerging from and evolving
around Fellowship Church, where life change inspires creativity, and
creativity inspires life change. Every song, every video, every
expression has a story behind it – and that story begins with who Jesus
is and what He does in people's lives.

Tracklisting ::

01. Glory in the Highest02. Running to Follow03. Future Back04. Never Be Without It05. Magnify06. Jesus My King07. Desperate for You08. Home09. Always Been About You10. The One I Need11. God of the Rescue12. The Everlasting13. Beautiful14. The Takeover (Bonus Track)15. The Everlasting Unplugged (Bonus Track)

A lot of people ask me, “Why do I do what I do, the way I do?” I grew
up in St. Louis, Missouri, in one of the worst neighborhoods in
America, in one of the worst times in the country’s gang history. In my
neighborhood just like a lot of other neighborhoods around the world,
it was plagued with violence and drugs. Where I grew up 75% of the
males believe that there is one way to make money and that’s trapping
or as you would say selling drugs. When it comes to gangs, If your hood
bangs and you hang out, you are visible to other hoods, so you might
as well bang cause you affiliated, so we bang. If you a male in hoods
like mines you either trapping, robbing, stealing, murking for money,
or you broke. It’s the same for the women, 75% of the females either on
welfare, boosting (stealing clothes), trapping or looking for a dude
with money to support them, and that’s how it go. Our mindset is, “this
is where I am, my momma a drunk or smoked out, my daddy was this so
that’s what I’m gone be, all my family in the street get it like this,
my whole hood live
this way, I have to do what I have to do, this is life.” You add this
onto the back of a sixteen year old that just had a baby, everyday he
comes in the house there is no food, a house full of crack heads, and
you get what you see in the inner cities around the world, "Survivors!"
This life that we live is made to look cool, by the media, movies,
magazines, documentaries, and of course, music. Most rappers you hear
today spitting gangsta are “Fake thugs, point blank period!” They have
never touched a gram of dope, never banged a ratchet (a gun), and have
never even been hood at all, never! Every now and then you get a couple
of them that really are hood, when they come out talking about hood
life, the struggle of it, the drive of wanting to get out by any means
necessary, they become our voice because their story is our story and
therefore it becomes the soundtrack to our life. When your hear a dude
talking about your struggle and you see him come up out of it, you
think that can work for you and even if it don’t, the pressure that
comes along with the life we live will make you try it because anything
is better than this. I don’t condone anyone selling drugs, stealing,
killing, robbing or any crime, but I do understand the mindset of the
people that do it for survival. I’ve been in the situation where my
kids didn’t have any where to stay, no family to help and thinking from
a hood mindset, I would have murked the world to feed my babies. I
understand the young boy that wants to be a man and provide for his
family so bad that he would rob to do it. I understand that he only
uses the things that he knows and I spit to give him hope that there is
another way to live. "Thats why I do what i do." One day I was
awakened to the fact that the way i was living was all a lie!
Everything that my hood, music and movies told me was not what i was
born to be, I wasn’t born to be a goon, killer or murderer. I was
awakened to the fact that females were not made to be toys of my sexual
pleasure. They were not part time conversations or trashcans for me to
dump my hurts and emotions. I learned that God made them, as well as
myself, and that God had a purpose in mind for me and them. In the hood
we are some of the most religious, hypocritical people I have ever
seen. We have what my friends and I call “Hood Theology.” We know God
exist, we say we love God, we pray, we may even go to church, but we
think God is cool with everything we do. I know I been there. I’m in
the back of the police car cuffed up, I’m like, “ God get me out of
this please I will never do it again.” Soon as I’m out the car I’m
right back at it again. I’m stupid high riding in the car, like, “man
God please don’t let me crash, I’m done getting blowed.” Soon as I wake
up the next day I’m right back at it again. Faced down in the trap
house by the police, guns in my face, guns busting at me, shot up in
the hospital almost dead, locked up on felonies and get out messing
with nasty girls. What ever the case is, we see that the grace of God.
that same grace gets us out of trouble time and time again and we go
right back to what we do, because God keeps showing us grace and we
think it means He’s cool with what we live. That’s what I thought to,
because God kept showing me grace in my (most I just named) situations I
thought God was cool with how I was living, but he wasn’t, and if you
living that way He is not cool with it either. The truth is this;

Romans 1: 4Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

5
But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath
for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be
revealed.

That’s why God shows us mercy and grace, so it can lead us to repentance, to faith in Jesus, but instead we continue
on and store up wrath for ourselves. I know because I was the same
way, I thought God was cool with everything I did because I knew he was
always letting trouble past me by that I deserved, but He wasn't .
Grace says even though you deserve to go to jail for the rest of your
life, I’m going to let you free. Even though, you should have HIV from
all the people you slept with, you don’t. Even though, you should be
dead from those 9 shots or even paralyzed, you’re not because of Grace!
God’s grace should lead us to repentance! We should look at the grace
that God is showing us and turn from our sin filled wicked lives and
live for Him! Instead the sin in our hard hearts pushes us to continue
on and use God’s grace like a diaper, we dirty it up and throw it away
and then we call him again when we need Him. Still again, there is
grace. That’s what grace is even though we deserve the consequence; God
doesn’t allow it to happen. When I learned about the biggest act of
grace I was rocked to the core. For the sin we commit we should receive
death, not just death but hell. That’s another part of “Hood
Theology,” that hell doesn’t exist, but that’s a lie. The biggest act
of grace for you and me was this,

“Romans 5:6 for while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly (for you)

.7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person-though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more
shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.10 For if while we were
enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more,
now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life”.

That’s
why God keeps showing you grace, so you can see His love, repentant
your sin and believe in Jesus as your savior. That’s love, that God
would put His Son to death in your place for your sin. When I learned
about that I was so gone on the fact
that God loved me that much, that grace lead me to repentance. Now I
am a voice crying out to hoods across the globe saying, “look at the grace of God
while you are still alive and repent.” A voice of the people from
amongst the people, “saying we don’t have to suffer as murders, thieves
and trappers,” saying, “Young girl you're worth more than that, God
loves you, you have a father in Him, and you can be more than a baby
momma.” That’s why I rap the way I do, this is why I do what I do.”

Death in Reverse is the latest Christian Contemporary Pop Rock album released by American christian artist, singer, song writer, Jeremy Casella. This album was released on May 06, 2014 and released under the label, Saint and Pilgrim Music.

Jeremy Casella is a singer/songwriter based out of Nashville, Tennessee
who has made his living for the last 13 years by sharing his songs and
stories all around the United States and occasionally parts of Europe.
He has released 4 records independently and is currently in the process
of recording his 5th studio album. In addition, Jeremy has been part of
various side projects (like The Message:Psalms ) and has worked as a
producer and songwriter for several years now.

Seeking to
communicate Truth & Beauty in his work as an artist, Jeremy has also
been involved with The Square Peg Alliance (a fellowship with other
like-minded singer/songwriter friends such as Andrew Peterson & Jill
Phillips) and the Indelible Grace hymns movement which takes old hymns
and sets them to new music.

Tracklisting ::

1. Sing Me Back2. Letter from an Old Friend3. The Old Cinder of a Burnt out World4. On the Evening Train5. Beauty Leads the Way6. The Sower7. Let It All Go8. Steel Eyes9. Night Vision10. Field of Glory11. The City of the Lord

We are the Broken is the latest Christian Pop Rock album released by American Christian Rock band, Seventh Day Slumber. This album was released on May 13, 2014 and released under the label, VSR / Capitol CMG.

From its indie beginnings at the tip of the 2000s to debuting on BEC
Recordings in 2005, Seventh Day Slumber has continuously raised the bar
of alternative rock excellence coupled with an unabashed gospel message.
It’s a tightly wound dynamic that’s not only seen the band’s last two
albums land on the Billboard Heatseekers charts (at #10 and #6
respectively), plus a string of Top 10 singles (including
the smashes “Caroline” and “Oceans From the Rain”), but it’s also quite
literally saved lives. As the group prepares to release the worshipful
Take Everything, the story of front man Joseph Rojas’ delivery from
depression and a $400 per day cocaine addiction has already been well
circulated. But many might not be aware of the fact that his previously
estranged father came to Christ as a result of a recent Seventh Day Slumber concert.

“My father called me out of no where after
he’d been following the band online and asked if I would be interested
in meeting him and I said ‘absolutely!’” recalls Rojas, even
withstanding early memories of abuse and subsequent divorce. “He told me
his brother had died and his three nephews were weeping at the casket,
which made my dad pose the question ‘would my kids cry for me if I
died?’”

Following the conversation, the front man flew his
father to Nashville, reconnecting for the first time on a significant
scale since childhood. From there, the senior Rojas took a road trip
with the band during the summer festival run, including a faithful day
at the Alive extravaganza where Joseph gave an altar call.

“It
had started to rain, but I still saw about three hundred kids come
forward to accept Christ,” he remembers. “In the crowd of people running
to the altar, I saw my father coming forward and he wound up giving his
life to Christ at one of our concerts! Now my father and I actually
have a relationship, and while we don’t get to talk as much as we should
simply because I’m on the road so much, it’s a pretty awesome addition
to the story.”

More than being merely an anecdote, the
experience was one of the many catalysts behind Take Everything, which
finds the group specifically centering its content around a praise
motif, but in a remarkably unexpected way. Instead of merely copying the
current cuts on Christian radio and cranking out a few cliché-drenched
copy cats, the project puts a fresh coat of paint on familiar favorites,
enriched by three original cuts that find Rojas and company at their
most spiritually vulnerable and intimate.

“We wanted to make
these songs more appealing to some of the youth and teenagers out
there,” he says of staples like “How Great Is Our God,” “I Can Only
Imagine,” “Famous One” and “Nothing But the Blood.” “They’re all really
amazing songs and are obviously known by millions of people, but we
wanted to record them in way that wasn’t wrapped around the traditional
arrangements. We wanted people who wouldn’t normally listen to worship
music to hear it in a way that’s relevant to them.” Considering BEC
falls under the Tooth & Nail/Solid State umbrella, inspiration from
label mates like Underoath, Demon Hunter and Anberlin wasn’t all that
far behind, not to mention Seventh Day Slumber’s pre-existing
alternative centering. Basically the guys kept their iPods on shuffle,
allowing the intermingling of these worship cuts to channel themselves
through osmosis into rough necked rockers.

“We wanted to come
up with something really interesting, taking the same lyrics and
basically the same melodies, but putting a completely different spin on
them,” he echoes. “So there we were going through our iPods listening to
a heavy riff from Underoath one minute and “How Great Is Our God” in a
standard worship format the next and subconsciously started taking those
traditional worship songs and making them heavier.”

As noted,
in addition to nine covers, the collection boasts three stirring
originals, starting with the title track. At first, Rojas admits
thinking “okay, I gottta write three songs for this worship album and I
want to give the label something they’ll be excited to hear,” though
that mindset quickly shifted to a much more spiritual centering.

“I opened the book of Psalms and starting copying what David had
written down, but I began to feel convicted as I heard God asking ‘is
that all you’ve got for me?’” he ponders. “I also felt Him asking ‘why
were you writing a song to your label instead of a song to me?’ and my
heart began to sink. So I grabbed my guitar, began to pray and told God
He deserved more from me, and at that point, I just literally told him
to take absolutely every part of me. It’s one thing to live some
mediocre Christian lifestyle, but I want God to have every piece of me
and that’s exactly what this record is about.”

“Carry Me” is
another attention-commanding new cut that is once again steeped in
surrender, specifically geared towards people hurting from the aftermath
of divorce and growing up without one of their parents. A stripped down
version of the previous hit “Ocean From the Rain” brings Seventh Day Slumber’s journey of praise full circle, reminding listeners that no
matter how severe the storm in their life, healing and hope are always
attainable resolutions.

As Rojas and his band mates sit back
justifiably proud of the project, there’s also one untapped angle that
has the leader particularly pumped. Now that the singer’s a family man
himself, he notices the songs on Take Everything resonating with his
three young sons in an extremely meaningful manner.

“They’ve
sang daddy’s songs before, but these songs aren’t just about my hurts,
pains and addictions,” he adds. “They’re singing to God Himself, which
is something I didn’t really have growing up but wished I did. These
songs let them know that there’s more to life than toys and they also
let me know there’s more than my own situations and problems. He’s the
ultimate source of our souls finding hope and rest, which after seeing
it happen firsthand with my own life and now my father’s faith walk
makes me even more excited to sing these songs than ever before.”

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Champion is the latest Christian Dance & Electronic Pop album released by American Christian Hip Hop, R & B artist, Beckah Shae. This album was released on May 06, 2014 and released under the label, Shae Shoc Records.

For nearly ten years, soulful singer/songwriter Beckah Shae’s been
steadily gaining momentum, establishing her very own Shae Shoc Records
with her husband/constant production collaborator Jack Shocklee and
turning in seven studio CDs. Along the way, she’s racked up top 10
Billboard Christian CHR radio singles like “Here In This Moment” and
“LIFE,” scored a Dove nomination for the latter gem, served
as a featured guest on tobyMac’s Billboard blockbuster Tonight album,
collaborated with fellow multi-million album seller Montell Jordan on
his latest Victory World Music project Shake Heaven and is also gearing
up for two appearances on Dove Award winning rap luminary T-Bone’s
upcoming album.

As extraordinary as her ascent’s been thus
far, Shae’s eighth album unequivocally signals the California
born/Nashville bred artist’s arrival as a national force that doesn’t
just overflow with her own creative excellence, but also boasts a
massive list of all-star guests including Israel Houghton, Crystal
Lewis, T-Bone, Eric Dawkins and Canon, sure to solidify her burgeoning
platform as a positive hitmaker all the world over. But there’s much
more to Champion than merely one of the hottest pop, electronic, R&B
and hip-hop soundtracks of the entire year. In fact, a further foray
into an astonishing testimony paints Shae as not only the ultimate
survivor, but also someone who continues to thrive thanks to faith at
the center of her foundation.

“My parents divorced when I was
very young, so I come from a broken home,” shares Shae of a complex back
story to becoming a Champion. “I walked through many challenging times
with my mom, including abusive remarriages, being very poor and spending
a lot of time in other people’s homes including battered women’s
shelters. Alongside all of that, I suffered a lot of insecurities and
went through a season of eating disorders, but even amidst it all, I
always knew God was with me and for me.”

In spite of her
circumstances, Shae had a supernatural encounter with the Lord at a very
young age that she believes planted deep-rooted beliefs beyond verbal
explanation. She also credits her devoutly faithful mother, who comes
from a strong Jewish family but nonetheless converted from Judaism, and
in turn, introduced her daughter to Christ. It’s a faith and heritage
the singer/songwriter always clung to even during her tumultuous teens,
but it wasn’t until she found herself at her lowest, darkest place in
humility and brokenness before the Lord in her early 20s that she
surrendered her life completely and was delivered entirely from her
personal demons and toxic environments.

“My mom introduced me
to Jesus- she’s my Champion as far as that is concerned- and through her
humility, grace and love, I saw God’s faithfulness first hand,” she
recalls. “I was never personally abused physically or sexually at all,
which is an absolute miracle with all that was going around me growing
up. Those years allowed me to see Jesus as my savior, protector,
provider, best friend, comforter and counselor, which really established
who I am today.”

As Shae transferred all of those emotions
into Champion, she’s happy to report that besides being happily married
to the immensely ingenious “Shoc,” they also have two beautiful children
(Joy and Grace) and she’s now walking in complete freedom from the
anxiety and bulimia that plagued her younger years. Even a single spin
of the album indicates just how vulnerable but concurrently hopeful
she’s willing to dig into her songwriting, always striving to channel
those previous challenges into a means of present day healing for
strugglers of any stripe.

“I’ve walked through a season of
defeat, but now I’m walking in victory,” Shae proudly proclaims. “Seeing
yourself the way God sees you is the beginning of that freedom and that
idea comes through in the theme of Champion. Since we were poor and
were always moving around, I had to start over and meet new friends
every time. With each adjustment period, I always felt misunderstood,
misjudged and like people always had their own assumptions about me.
Progress has been slow, but I've stayed persistent and consistent in
being faithful to God and this is what He’s done. I’m super passionate
about helping others see themselves the way God sees them, no matter
what season of difficulty they’re going through. I want them to listen
to this and not just see from my life’s example of God’s healing
capabilities, but for them to be inspired, encouraged and come to know
God intimately, choose the incorruptible, be invincible, see the
invisible, and do the impossible.”

Not only has a firm
reliance on the Lord paid off in her personal life, but there’s no doubt
God’s anointing continues to be on every aspect of the Champion album.
Take her fittingly titled “Legacy” collaboration with the legendary
multi-Dove Award winner/Grammy nominee Crystal Lewis, which is an
unbelievable full circle journey for Shae that she hopes can be passed
down to the next generation of music fans.

“One of my darkest
times as a teenager was when I was staying with a Jewish family member
where I couldn’t really share my Christian faith, and I didn’t have a
church or have any type of community,” she explains. “But one of my
friends from back home sent me Crystal’s Beauty For Ashes CD and I
remember playing it back and forth from my job at the time and having it
be the sole source of ministry for me that season. Fast forward all
these years later to me getting involved in music, and I was able to
present the song idea of leaving a ‘Legacy’ to her and she agreed to be a
part of it. She’s been a real Champion for me and is a real example of
an artist who planted a seed without even realizing it until decades
later. And that’s exactly what I hope to do with my music- sow seeds in
other people and have them bear fruit sometime down the road.”

Speaking of someone with a trophy case full of Grammy and Dove Awards,
another key collaborator throughout Champion is Israel Houghton, who
duets on “Jericho,” a robust pop tune about tearing down the walls that
hinder us. The two initially became fast friends when collaborating on
T-Bone’s recent tune “Posses My Body” for the I’m In Love With A Church
Girl soundtrack, but God also showed additional providence in linking
these two powerhouse performers up for this blockbuster duet.

“First off, he’s one of my all time favorite worship leaders, and number
one on my dream list of people to collaborate with, so for him to
basically say ‘when are we gonna do a song together?’ really blew my
mind,” admits Shae. “And check this out for timing and how God’s
redefined Champion for me throughout this whole recording process. There
was one more vocal part I needed for Israel to complete and we were
under a tight deadline, so I called him on the off chance he might be in
L.A. for something music-related, even though he travels back and forth
between homes in L.A. and Texas. Not only did Israel happen to be in
town, but he was at a restaurant right up the street and came in after
dinner to finish the vocal!”

And it only gets more
mind-boggling from there! Ever see the name Eric Dawkins pop up in CD
booklet credits? He’s collaborated with everyone from Justin Bieber to
Chris Brown, Christina Aguilera and even Quincy Jones, but wound up
reaching out to Shae via Twitter completely unprompted, praising her
vocals and suggesting they write together.

“I hadn’t written
any songs with anybody before, but I was working so many hours and
getting super tired towards the end of the record that the idea of
possibly collaborating with outside writers came to me,” she asserts.
“Then Eric contacts me after he just wrote on Justin Bieber’s album and
I’m like ‘how do you even know about me?’ But we talked on the phone
about ideas and he sent me back a demo the very next day, which was
absolutely crazy and lead to us writing three songs together- He is
brilliant & humble, a genuine Champion, yet another example of how
God totally hooked us up!”

In the case of teaming with T-Bone
on “My All,” they actually already had established a great friendship
(so that was an easy one), though even with their personal connection,
Shae makes sure to point out “he’s absolutely an incredible artist and
person and has been pioneering hip-hop for decades.” Besides sounding
absolutely phenomenal together, the track also benefits from some
co-writing assistance from fellow mainstream heavy hitter Crystal
Nicole, who’s notched massive hits for Mariah Carey, Beyonce and
Rihanna, alongside an armload of Grammy Awards. “It’s a simple song
about how He gave His all for us, and that the least we can do is give
our all back to Him.”

Throughout all these tunes, Shae turns
in the utmost musical relevance, which could just as readily appeal to
fans of Christian music favorites tobyMac, Group 1 Crew or Capital
Kings, as current EDM scene shapers Zedd (with additional ‘80s-inspired
grooves gleaned by sources as diverse as Michael Sembello’s Flashdance
soundtrack smash “Maniac” to Peter Gabriel’s Say Anything staple “In
Your Eyes”). But of course, no beats would be complete without her main
man “Shoc,” who Shae calls “my favorite person on the planet, plus a man
of integrity, generosity and loyalty,” not to mention “a constant
source of all around inspiration and the crazy talented man who makes
all the sounds come together.”

Continues Shae while turning
the tide back towards the tunes: “I definitely hope this connects with
the Rihanna/Katy Perry crowd, plus there’s more EDM on this album and
it’s definitely a hype CD. We got so much feedback from the Destiny
album saying how much everyone loved the dance tracks and were looking
for more upbeat music to work out to. There’s also a remix of
‘Incorruptible’ by David Thulin, and a remix of ‘Turbo Style’ with Canon
that dives directly into the hip-hop world, which is also a new
exploration for me.”

Even with all the four on the floor dance
grooves, there’s still plenty of room to let Shae’s incomparable voice
shine, most notably, on the mid-tempo treasure “Vision.” “That’s
definitely my favorite song on the record,” she adds. “Everything about
the way that I think and the concept of seeing with your heart is the
center of that song. Having the Lord steer my ‘Vision’ is what keeps me
moving and keeps me focused to finish strong.”

Naturally, a
conversation about Champion can’t be complete without a nod to the title
track, which is an all out overcoming anthem anchored in Hebrews 12:2
to remind believers to keep their eyes firmly planted on Jesus, the one
and only Champion of our faith. “The imagery we used on the album cover
is a drop of blood, which compliments the line in that song ‘it’s in my
blood,’” sums up Shae. “Basically because of His blood, we can go on and
be a Champion to others. That blood drop is really the theme of this
album. The reason why any of us are champions is because we have the
bloodline of the ultimate Champion.”

The Worship Initiative Volume One is the latest Christian Worship album released by American Christian Folk Worship Duo band, Shane & Shane (Shane Barnard & Shane Everett). This album was released on May 06, 2014 and released under the label, The Worship Initiative.

For the last 15 years, God has not only allowed us to boast of Him through song, but He has given us the awesome privilege of pouring in to other musicians, songwriters and worship leaders around the world. These opportunities have ignited a fire of discipleship in our hearts.

Our mission is to launch an online resource to empower musicians to LEAD. A place that will be a JOY for you dive deep into what you are gifted and called to be. And, we need God’s grace and your help to make it happen. We have been working diligently for months; recording songs, making videos, and writing content that we hope will deeply encourage the Church.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Sovereign is the latest Christian Praise & Worship album released by American Christian worship leader, singer, composer, musician Michael W. Smith. This album was released on May 13, 2014 and released under the label, MWS Group under Sparrow Records.

Michael Whitaker Smith was born October 7, 1957 to Paul and Barbara
Smith in Kenova, West Virginia. A sister named Kim would follow. Michael
was a typical boy – active in baseball, his family’s church activities,
and playing piano. But in
not-so-typical fashion, he wrote his first song at age five. At the age
of ten, he made a decision to give his life to Christ. He dreamed of
playing professional baseball.

Michael attended college at Marshall University in West Virginia but after one semester
dropped out to move to Nashville and pursue a career in music. (side
note trivia: In 1992 Michael received an honorary Doctorate of Music
degree from Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, West Virginia.)

The years 1979-1981 are best written by Michael himself in his book It’s Time To Be Bold. From chapter 1, we read:

While playing keyboards for the group Higher Ground, I signed my
first songwriting contract with Paragon/Benson Publishing Company. I
thought I’d died and gone to heaven. I was knocking down $200 a week to
do something that I loved. Writing songs for a living meant that I
didn’t have to wait tables anymore, or work at Coca-Cola, or plant
shrubs with a landscaping company.

I thought my life had peaked and God didn’t have to do anything else for me. I wasn’t looking for a record deal,
a higher salary, or even a girlfriend – and especially not a wife.
Writing music, I was as content as I’d ever been, and I labored at it
sixteen hours a day. Then one afternoon while I was working in my
office, Deborah Kay Davis walked by.

I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. When she
passed by, it was all over for me. I was blown away. Totally head over heels in love. I frantically picked up the phone and called my mother in West Virginia.

"Mom, I can’t believe it. You’re not going to believe this, Mom. I just saw the girl I’m going to marry.

"What’s her name?"

"I don’t know, Mom. I haven’t met her yet. But I gotta go. I’ll find out and call you back."

My poor mother! She must have thought I’d lost my mind. But I’d never been so clearheaded in my life.

I left my office and went searching for this girl in the warehouse. Sherlock Holmes couldn’t have done a better job of tracking
her down, and eventually I found myself standing outside the ladies’
restroom, waiting for her to emerge. She walked out. I introduced
myself. We were engaged three and a half weeks later – and married four
months after that!

In 1982, Michael was asked to play keyboards in a band that was backing up young artist Amy Grant. He also continued to write songs for himself.

The story goes that Amy’s managers, Mike Blanton and Dan Harrell could not find a Christian record label
that would sign Michael or a young New Yorker named Kathy Troccoli.
Believing so much in these two young talents, they started Reunion
Records.

Michael made his very first record in 1983 and it was called “Michael W.
Smith Project.” Michael wrote all the music and wife Debbie wrote the
lyrics. The now famous song “Friends” debuted on this album. Michael continued to tour with Amy, now as her opening act.

From there – the records kept coming, and then the books as well:

1984 – the album “Michael W. Smith 2”
1985 – the video “Michael W. Smith Live in Concert”
1986 – the album “The Big Picture” and Michael’s first book Old Enough to Know
1987 – the album “The Live Set” and the video “The Big Picture Tour”
1988 – the album “i 2 (EYE)”
1989 – the album “Christmas”
1990 – the album “Go West Young Man” which saw the song “Place in
This World” hit the top 5 in pop charts, and helped earn him American Music Award’s New Artist of the Year.
1992 – the album “Change Your World”
1993 – the album “The First Decade” (a best-of album) as well as a limited edition 2-cd boxed set entitled “The Wonder Years.”
1995 – the album “I’ll Lead You Home”
1997 – the book It’s Time to Be Bold and the book Friends Are Friends Forever
1998 – the album “Live the Life” and the book Your Place In This World andat Christmas his second Christmas album “Christmastime”
1999 – the album “This Is Your Time,” the book This Is Your Time, as well as
a cookbook with his mom entitled Cooking with Smitty’s Mom and a
children’s book co-authored with wife Debbie entitled Where’s Whitney?
2000 – the album “Freedom”
2001 – the book I Will Be Your Friend and the album “Worship”
2002 – the book Worship, the book The Price of Freedom the vhs/dvd “Worship” and the album “Worship Again”
2003 – the CD box set “The Gospels Come to Life” (narration of the
four gospels), a DVD “The Bigger Picture” and the album “The Second
Decade” with a limited edition DVD
2004 – album “Healing Rain”
2006 – the movie and soundtrack “The Second Chance
2006 – the album “Stand”
2007 – the album “It’s A Wonderful Christmas”
2008 – the album “A New Hallelujah”
2009 – the live dvd “A New Hallelujah”
2010 - the album"Wonder"
2011 - the album "Glory"

In the midst of 22 albums and ten books as well as the awards (Dove awards and Grammy awards
among them), Michael and Debbie were blessed with five children: Ryan,
Whitney, Tyler, Emily and Anna; and in recent years the family has continued to expand as his children have expanding families of their own.

In 1994, Michael founded a teen club called Rocketown in an effort to
provide a place for teens to gather in a safe, loving environment. A
warehouse in the Cool Springs area of Brentwood, TN was converted into a
dance floor, rooms with pool tables and a coffeehouse. After three
years, the club closed. The leadership continued to build a ministry
devoted to kids, and a new site in downtown Nashville that reopened in
2003. Visit Rocketown at www.rcktwn.com.

In 1996, Michael founded Rocketown Records with Reunion executive Don
Donahue and launched their first artist, Chris Rice. Michael and Don
shared a dream to be part of a label where great songs
were the focus, where artists, not acts, were developed. They wanted a
label that felt like a family. And what a family it is! Go to
www.rocketownrecords.com to learn more!

In 1999, a prayer group of Michael and Debbie’s that had been meeting at
their farm, had blossomed into what they felt had become a church body.
Gathering up some leadership, Michael and Debbie helped start New River
Fellowship with close leadership by Pastor and mentor Don Finto, former
senior pastor of Nashville’s Belmont Church where Michael and Debbie
had attended for many years. Visit New River Fellowship at
www.newriverfellowship.com. Throughout his career, Michael has had the
opportunity to sing for Presidents and national leaders, and counts
among his friends the Reverend Billy Graham and his son, Franklin
Graham. He is active in Billy Graham Crusades as well as The Samaritan’s
Purse, the ministry headed by Franklin Graham.

But for all of Michael’s accolades, for his involvement in his teen
outreach Rocketown, leadership in his local church body, the business of
being an artist, an author and a record label executive, Michael sums
up his life as this, “to be remembered as a God-fearing man who loved
his wife and kids well.

Tracklisting ::01. You Won't Let Go02. Heaven Come Down03. Miracle04. Sky Spills Over05. All Arise06. You Are The Fire07. Christ Be All Around Me08. Sovereign Over Us09. Hide Myself10. The Same Power11. I Lay Me Down12. The One That Really Matters [feat. Kari Jobe]CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE DETAILS ::

Sunday, May 11, 2014

God Above all is the latest Christian Praise & Worship album released by American Christian Church band, Hillside Worship. This album was released on April 08, 2014 and released under the label, Hillside Worship.

“Praise the Lord for ALL He has done.” (Psalm 111) It is good to take inventory of the things God is doing and has done. And it is good to share the story of how He has saved. He has used both our faithfulness and our failures for His glory and for our good. Several of us have been writing songs of worship individually for a few years. But we wanted to come together as the worship pastors of Hillside to write about what God is doing here and now. And then to offer praise from Hillside to God.

We hope you enjoy this live worship project called “God Above All.” So many people gave their prayers, talents, sweat, and hours of work to deliver this project. Your words, emails, and prayers of encouragement have been a special gift to us. We wanted to capture (for you) some of the thoughts, scriptures, meditations, and moments that have led to the writing and recording of these songs for, to, and about God. We feel deeply called to “preach the Word, pray the Word, and sing the Word.” In the song stories section, you can read and watch the “how” behind some of these songs. We hope you enjoy it and are led to search the richness of the Scripture in your own life.

Psalm 103 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits.” Meditating on His benefits, it is impossible to not praise Him with even more conviction and belief. We pray that as you explore through some of these songs and their origins, you will be inspired to join us in worshipping The One and Only, the God who satisfies, the Breath of Heaven, the Great King of Glory, the Lord Most High, Our Messiah King… the God Above All.

Tracklisting ::

01. Lord Most High02. Great King of Glory03. God Above All04. Hallelujah Sing05. The One and Only06. Breath of Heaven Come07. Messiah King08. We Are Alive09. Satisfied10. He Is Risen11. I Am Yours12. Be Lifted High